Monday, November 28, 2011

Anti-HIV gel found to be ineffective

In a setback for AIDS prevention research, a clinical trial of a new vaginal gel supposed to reduce HIV infections has been suspended after studies showed it to be ineffective.

Researchers from the Microbicide Trials Network, set up by the US National Institutes of Health ( NIH), expressed surprise at the outcome as a previous study on a gel containing the drug tenofovir had shown encouraging results.

Researchers are striving to produce a gel or a pill that protects women against HIV infection but still allows them to get pregnant. A first trial of the gel in South Africa showed reduced HIV infections in 39% women. Those results, published in 2010, raised hopes that a new gel could slow the transmission of HIV/AIDS.

 

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